Children in Gaza
Gaza children play musical chairs amid rubble
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- This comes amid an ongoing scarcity of playgrounds and child-friendly spaces in the war-ravaged strip.
A video showing a group of children playing musical chairs amid the rubble of a destroyed building in Gaza has drawn widespread attention on social media, offering a rare glimpse of childhood play against the backdrop of nearly three years of war.
Recorded on Aug. 16, 2026, by Ibrahim Zanoun, the video captures children laughing and eagerly racing for seats in the classic game musical chairs.
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With playgrounds destroyed and safe spaces for children increasingly scarce across the territory, the ruins of bombed-out homes have become makeshift play areas for many Gazan families.
The war has taken a severe toll on children in Gaza. According to Gaza's health authorities, ‘Israeli’ attacks have killed at least 20,000 children in the territory since October 2023, with tens of thousands more injured. Tens of thousands of children have also lost one or both parents.
An estimated 92 percent of Gaza's schools have been severely damaged or destroyed, according to reporting from the territory, leaving most children without access to formal education, organized sports or playgrounds.
In response, residents have organized informal activities for children, including games staged amid the rubble, makeshift film screenings, and music and art programs in displacement camps.
The musical chairs video is one example of that pattern of improvised childhood activity continuing despite the destruction surrounding it.
Read more: Gaza children play volleyball amid rubble
